The features of the fragile eco-environment of the arid land decide that its capacity of disturbance-resistance is lower. The natural desert oases in the arid land are in mosaic patches distributed in a wide Gobi desert. The population distribution is greatly dependent on water resources. The population is characterized with dispersed distribution, simple production and living style, and poverty and remoteness. The reason why the ecological migrations are carried out lies in the ecological problems. "Ecological degradation" is the main driving force of the ecological migration. Then, the strength of the driving force depends on the degree of ecological degradation. Hence, whether to carry out ecological migration depends on the extent of ecological degradation.Theoretically, the critical value curve for calculating ecological migration in the arid land is put forward through comprehensive research of relative problems of ecology, economics etc., combined with the ecological migration experience in the arid land, and based on the features of the arid environment. In this article, with this curve, the theoretical research and some practice of the ecological migration have been done from the perspective of natural behavior and governmental behavior of the driving force formation of ecological migration. It analyses the active driving force (factors) and negative forces (factors), and points out the timing and steps of implementing the ecological migration in the arid land. The theoretical curve embodies certain originality and applicability,which provides a quantitative method for evaluating 196the degree of ecological degradation and the theoretical base for implementing ecological migration projects.